Creative Partner Dancing

In dance, anything is possible. Just survey the wide spectrum of dance forms that already exist, and you will see endless variation between them. The same is also true within the realm of partner dancing, or any dance between two people.

All Styles Are Welcome

We embrace this potential for variation of movement, and through it we seek greater depth of expression. Rather than depend on the forms of a single style of dance—swing, for example—we borrow from all of the styles we have ever learned or seen. This means that in a single dance we may shift from salsa to tango or from an upright waltz stance to one lower down and more reminiscent of blues. For us, the boundaries between dances are flexible.

One "Step" Further

Then we take our dancing further. Rather than depend solely on a vocabulary of steps taken from established styles, we allow room for the creation or discovery of new steps and new ways of moving together. This spontaneous exploration is based on the music and our individual reponses to its layers. It also depends on our receptivity, the strength of our connection. If my partner hears a melody that makes her feel like lunging, then I can respond to her impulse and adapt my movements accordingly. She in turn then has the chance to use my response to take our combined movement even further. In this way our dance progresses.

Music is Meant for Dancing

Oh yes, the music. Must salsa only ever be matched with the salsa step? Must one dance tango to tango music? We value the skill and knowledge one must have to dance a specific dance form to a specific genre of music. We also value the chance to mix and match music and movement, and to use whatever movement we feel best fits the feeling and character of a song. That means that the east coast swing step is only one of the many possible choices we have while dancing to a swing song. We prefer variety over any desire to fit into a single form.

What Comprises Creative Partner Dancing

The following are some of the concepts we have recognized as foundational elements to all partner dancing in general. When a dance is grounded in these elements rather than a curriculum of set steps, Creative Partner Dancing emerges.

Connection

All partner dances rely on some form of connection between two people. There must be a means of communicating. This happens primarily in one or several points of physical contact between the dancers, as well as visually and intuitively. It is through connection that the "lead" may signal a turn, pause, or lunge. It is through connection that the "follow" accepts such a signal and responds in turn.

Stepping and Weight Shifts

All partner dancers must at some point take a step or shift their weight in some direction. Two people dancing together work toward coordinating their steps in a harmonious dance. This happens, of course, through various forms of connection.

Movement

It isn't enough to connect, or to coordinate each other's feet. One must dance with the entire body in mind, giving oneself permission to move through space, to explore more than steps. This can be as simple as walking across the floor, or it can involve leans, stretches, turns, or any other movement that two partners can imagine together.

Musicality

The music is a third partner. It informs both dancers, providing material that they can interpret through their movement together. Depending on how each dancer hears and responds to the music, every dance will be different, and every attempt at communication between the dancers will be slightly varied.

Open-Ended

These concepts are just the basics, and just the beginning. Creative Partner Dancing is meant to be altered; its purpose is discovery and expression, so we're certain it will continue to grow and evolve. Let us know if you have questions about the ideas discussed here, or any other issues related to partner dancing. We'll be glad to discuss them!

You Can Teach This?

It may seem a tremendous task to teach such an approach. One may wonder what we can possibly teach if we don't rely on a single pattern of steps, if we shift comfortably between several different styles of dance. It may seem, ironically, as if we have no solid "form" to teach! If you want to know just how we do it, read the next section, How We Teach Creative Partner Dancing.